Cornelia Guest, the daughter of American fashion icon CZ Guest and polo champion Winston Frederick Churchill Guest is a well-known philanthropist and entrepreneur. Cornelia’s passion for animals and nature are the sources of inspiration for her business ventures. Her most recent project is the launch of an amazing line of eco-conscious handbags. She also has a vegan catering business called Cornelia Guest Events with delicious and healthy dishes, many of which are made from produce selected at her own garden located in Old Westbury, NY. Named by Donna Karan as “One of the Women Who Inspire”, I am excited to share what Cornelia has been up to lately and of course get some of her green tips and product picks.

MM: Tell us a little about your new handbag and accessories line.
CG: I wanted to create an intelligent alternative; a line of accessories that used no animals, was luxurious, and very wearable, that you can take all day to all night.

MM: Where is it available for purchase and what is the price range?
CG: It’s available at Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdales.com, Target, Tootsies, C.Orrico and boutiques around the country. A list of stores is available on CorneliaGuest.com. All under $350.00.

MM: Most of the vegan handbags on the market are lacking in style- how did you do it, and so well- I love them!
CG: Thank you. It’s a compilation of all the things I love and I asked lots of my friends for help!

MM: A lot of people hear the words “cruelty-free” tossed around, what exactly does that mean to you?
CG: “Cruelty-free” means “humane.” No animals are ever hurt while making my products. My cookies are also cruelty-free. My book, which is coming out June 12, 2012, “Simple Pleasures,” is a humane, cruelty-free lifestyle book.

MM: What do you do to de-stress?
CG: Pilates, dance, play with my dogs. I love the water. The ocean is the best de-stresser ever!

MM: What tips do you have for someone who would like to transition to a vegan lifestyle?
CG: Find what humane, cruelty-free products you like and slowly start to incorporate them into your daily life. Bit by bit, baby steps grow into big steps.

Cornelia Guest has been passionate about animals and nature since she was a child. Her passion is reflected in every aspect of her life including her philanthropy, animal activism, and business enterprises.In 2009 she founded Cornelia Guest Events and Cornelia Guest Cookies, catering high-end charity and entertainment events with healthy, vegan dishes. Her mission is to encourage and inspire people to be conscious of the diet choices they make in their daily lives.Cornelia is currently designing her own line of jewelry, as well as a collection of animal-friendly handbags, wallets and dog accessories made with a vegan alternative to leather; both lines are scheduled to launch in the fall of 2011.Daughter of American fashion icon CZ Guest and polo champion Winston Frederick Churchill Guest, Cornelia has been able to use her media attention and professional contacts to support Humane Society of New York, and was named by Donna Karan as one of the Women Who Inspire. Cornelia is also an advocate for New Yorkers for Marriage Equality and hosted their fall 2010 event with Mayor Bloomberg.

It’s fun to learn what your favorite designers do on a daily basis, let alone every half hour. I recently sat down with Jay Godfrey to get his play by play on a typical day, and what gets him going (Espresso!). It’s a guarantee he’ll never leave home without his iPhone and an ingrained image of his baby girl, Allegra. Get a glimpse into JG’s life:

5:44 am: I hear my alarm go off. Ok, no I don’t! I hear my one year old, Allegra, crying. Ok, not that either. Why the hell am I up?! Must be thinking about work. Back to sleep I go.

7:16 am: Ok. Now I am really up. I hear Allegra calling for me and her mommy to come get her from her crib.

7:35 am: Espresso gone. Make another. Go get the NY Post and NY Times to get some news at my front door. Tired of “debt ceiling” and Casey Anthony stories. Loved restaurant reviews in the Times and can’t wait to try David Bouley’sBrushstroke, which received two stars this morning.

Buy Jay Godfrey Internationally: Holt Renfrew in Canada, Vakko in Turkey, Aishti in the Lebanon and Dubai and Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong.

Lindsay Brooke Weiss (Cohen) is a fashion and accessories editor and on-air style expert. She was previously Haute Living’s editorial director, Niche Media’s fashion and accessories editor and fashion editor for L-Atitude.com. Lindsay has been a frequent contributor at styledon.com and is a regular guest stylist on NBC’s “Gossip Gram.”